Mac Tíre Fola
by Nekomimi-warrior
Summary: Rin Okumura has decided to go on a special, school funded educational trip. For one year he will study at a school in a small town in New England, America. After two years of practicing the English language and studying their customs, he think's he's ready. But will the seventeen year old boy be ready for what can't be predicted? Full summary inside. Rated T for reasons...
1. Prolouge

Full summary:

Rin Okumura has decided to go on a special, school funded educational trip. For one year he will study at a school in a small town in New England, America. After two years of practicing the English language and studying their customs, he think's he's ready. But will the seventeen year old boy be ready for what can't be predicted? After meeting Faolán O' Byrne, he's not so sure... With surprises and adventure just around the corner, anything could happen... right? ;) Rated T for language, heavy violence, and sexual references. Rating may change.

Hi there everyone! So, after finishing the anime series Ao no Exorcist, I decided to do a fanfic! Yay! So here it is!

**BOLD: English**

REGULAR: Japanese

The language fonts change after this chapter, so please don't hate me when it switches! :)

* * *

"Shut up and stop worrying! I'm fine!" Rin protested as his twin attempted to lecture him again. Yukio sighed.

"Okay then... But, since there's a bit more time before your flight leaves, could you just go over the basic introduction again?" The younger brother requested. After a moments hesitation, Rin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine, fine..." He straightened and said in shaky, uncertain English,

"**Hi, my name is Rin Okumura, what is your name?**" Yukio grinned and replied,

"Perfect. Just be more confident! You picked up English fast, and you've been studying it for two years, you'll be fine."

"Didn't I just say that a few moments ago?" Rin muttered under his breath. Yukio was about to say something, but he was cut off by the loud voice over the speakers:

"FLIGHT 28 TO CHICAGO IS BOARDING. PLEASE TAKE ALL CARRY ON, AND LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND."

Yukio and Rin looked at one another and smiled. Rin ruffled Yukio's hair affectionately and cheered,

"So, see ya next year then?" Yukio laughed.

"See you later, Nii-san! I'll email you. Give me a call when you get to your temporary house. Okay? See you! Oh, Nii-san?" Rin huffed, exasperated, and turned back to Yukio.

"Whaaat? I've gotta go now!" Yukio leaned in close, looked around, and murmured quietly,

"Keep your tail hidden, and no flames, okay?" Rin cocked his head.

"Why my tail? Almost no one can see it!" Yukio shook his head.

"Exactly. Some people can... and in the area where your going, there are a lot of people who can see it... A lot more than you think." Rin nodded and waved goodbye.

"Got it. Later, Yukio!" Rin ran into line and got on board the train. It was going to be his first flight abroad, and the young, black haired boy was excited. For his studies, he'd chosen a small town in America, in New England. He'd be going to school there for a whole year, as part of a special program. He sat down in his designated seat and twisted around to grab his blade. Thankfully, the airport had been talked into letting him hold onto it, due to the fact that the airports main owner was an exorcist himself. Rin settled in and caught the attention of an air hostess.

"Excuse me miss, but how long is this flight?" The pretty young woman smiled and said happily,

"Around thirteen hours to Chicago, then two more to Connecticut." She moved on down the aisle, checking if peoples seat belts were properly fastened as Rin paled and melted in his seat.

"Fifteen... hours?" He moaned. This was going to be a looooong trip.


	2. Enter: Faolán O' Byrne

FAOLÁN/YLWA'S P.O.V

"FAO, FOR THE LAST TIME, GET UP!" Mom yelled up the stairs. I groaned and rolled over onto my side, glaring at my clock. My eyes widened when I realized what time it was.

"9:30? CRAP!" I kicked my blankets away and attempted to scramble out of bed, but fell flat on my face just as I realized that my feet were still tangled among the bed sheets.

_**WHACK!**_

"Fao, are you okay?" My mother called up again. I grabbed a dirty, red shirt that was in my reach and dabbed at my bloody nose.

"Ib fide! I'll be dowd in a middite!" I replied. I wiped my nose and rushed downstairs hastily, golden blonde hair flying behind me. I tied it back with a hair tie as I dashed down the stairs and nearly fell on my face. I steadied myself on the wall as the summer heat hit me like a truck. I shook away my light headed-ness and walked into the kitchen. My mom sat at the table, drinking her coffee and eyeing me with worry, and my dad stood at the stove, cooking some kind of meat... whatever it was, it smelled great.

"When'll the bacon be ready?" I asked when I identified the scent. Dad didn't even turn around.

"It'll be done in about three minutes." He answered and I nodded. I made my way to our small bathroom to get ready and to stem the steady flow of blood. I held a tissue to my nose as I brushed my teeth-which was not easy- and noticed that in order to comb one's hair, one has to take their hair out of it's tie... if it could not have been more obvious. I moaned and my upper body went limp. That was not a good idea. My forehead smacked against the edge of the porcelain sink bowl with a cracking sound. "AAAOOOWWWCH!"

. o O o .

I growled at myself as I sat at the dining room table with my tea and my plate of bacon. I munched noisily on the meat and attempted to rub my forehead at the same time. My mother glanced up from her work and scolded,

"You'd better not eat like that in front of our house guest. He'll think your an animal." I smirked and swallowed my last piece of food.

"I am an animal. So are you, so is he." Mom rolled her eyes.

"Eat with your silverware, Fao, you look like you were raised by wolves."

"Hey! Wolves take very good care of their pups! If only some HUMAN parents were that adept at parenting."

"Go wash your plate, Fao."

"Fine." I gulped down the last mouthful of tea and nearly choked. I pounded on my chest as I pranced over to the kitchen sink. As I washed my dishes, I thought about what was happening today. Our new house guest was coming all they way from Japan, and for a whole YEAR at that! I pouted. I'd wanted a girl to come and stay, so I could possibly make a friend, but nooo, my parents didn't agree to taking in a guest until it was very late in the sign up time, and only boys were left.

"Hey dad," I stared as I put my cup into the dish strainer. He turned and looked at me.

"Yes?" I dried my hands on a towel and asked,

"What's this kids name again? The kid who's coming to stay here?" He blinked and frowned.

"Uhm... Rin... Okamuro... no, that's not right..."

"It's Rin Okumura, honey." My mother interjected. I nodded.

"Thanks. I was just wondering." I left the room, calling over my shoulder,

"When are we leaving to pick him up from the airport?"

"Around twelve."

"In the morning!?"

"In the afternoon, you idiot." I laughed and went to the _genkan. _I opened the door and stepped outside.

I closed the door behind me and quickly hopped off of the stone steps, as they were hot with the glaring sun, and sighed as I felt the grass under my feet. I looked out into the woods and grinned.

"I only have around two and a half hours, so let's get moving!" I cheered to myself. I darted out into the woods, bare feet pattering on the twiggy ground, laughing gleefully as I heard the thump of a set of paws off to my right. I sped up.

"You're not gonna get ahead of me this time, you mutt!" I crowed. I heard a playful snarl and I was barreled over into the moss. I giggled as I pushed the large animal off of me. I lay back, staring into the amber eyes of the wolf-dog that lived in the forest. I reached up and nuzzled it.

"What's up, Beowulf?" I murmured to my one and only friend. He whimpered affectionately and pressed his cheek against mine and rubbed. I exhaled, feeling safe. I always felt safe with Beowulf, I don't know why. When I was younger, I tried to do a show and tell about him- well, more like a tell, - and the other kids thought I was a... a monster. See, wolves around this part of town are considered terrible. A child was once killed in this town, and it appeared that he'd been mauled to death by a wolf. But I wasn't scared. Beowulf was my only friend. I couldn't make any human friends, no matter how hard I tried. They were all scared of me, or they thought I was insane. 'To hell with them, if human friends are like that, then who would want them in the first place?' I thought to myself bitterly.

Beowulf seemed to sense my change in mood and licked my nose. I snapped out of my daze and smiled at him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. What do you wanna do?" His head bobbed in the direction of the stream and I sat up.

"You wanna go swimming?" Beowulf barked and his tail wagged, the reddish brown and the grays blurring together in the motion. I stood up, my heart fluttering. My heart did that when I was in the woods. ONLY in the woods. Some people might say it was because of excitement, or maybe because of an allergic reaction to pollen, but I think it was a bit more than that. I had a connection with the forest. Or really, any forest, but this one most of all. At my old home, which had been in the middle of a new growth forest, I was happy. I would stay up at night to hear the crickets, the cicadas, and the howls and screams of the wolves and foxes. I loved that forest. It was more of a home than my house. But there was that day. That day when the loggers came on the orders of the government. They needed a highway, and that's where they needed it. I only remembered part of what happened, the rest was a haze. I was only eleven years old, but I recalled bursting into tears and hollering at the loggers until my throat was scratchy. I remembered dashing out in front of the machinery, and crashing into the policeman, knocking him down in the process. My hand had come slashing down and the I didn't remember the rest.

I felt a sharp nip on my hand and I was jerked out of my thoughts yet again. I looked down at Beowulf, who's eyes held the feeling of concern. I smiled softly. "Okay, Beo. I'm good now. Let's go swim! It's too damn hot!" I took off into the woods, Beowulf at my side.

'I don't need to get sucked into the past again... it won't do any good, and the forest won't grow back...' I looked up to see the sky flashing by between the green leaves. 'How long will this one last, I wonder?' My gaze hardened. 'It will last, if it's the last thing I do, I'll make it last!'


	3. First meetings

_Italics: Japanese_

Regular: English

* * *

RIN'S P.O.V

I yawned as I stepped off of the walkway, but my eyes widened as I looked around. It was different. Not the airport itself, but the atmosphere. It was... I couldn't even explain it. It was just different. I reached into my breast pocket and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper with instructions on it. I sweat dropped. Instructions... I'm living with people who I don't know for a year, not baking a wedding cake! I read them through.

'When you get off the plane, go to gate 28 B, and your host family will be there to take you back to their house.

When you get to their house, kindly ask where your guest room is. Don't immediately fall asleep Rin, I know you do that.

After dinner, you will be very awake, you'll be jet lagged, but you have to go to sleep at eight, at the latest. You will regret it if you don't.

RIN. BE. POLITE.'

My eye twitched and I crushed the paper in my fist.

"_I know! What do you think I was going to do? Say, To hell with you, Imma sleep on the street?' Jeez..._" I shoved my hands into my pockets and yawned again as I shuffled off to look at the gate numbers. I was currently at gate 36 B. I groaned and started walking down the huge, crowded hallways. I noticed after a while that people were staring and whispering. Some people were pointing with eyes wide with wonder, some narrowed with scorn. As I walked by a couple, a man said in English,

"Teens... do they really need to do such awful stuff to their bodies?" Suddenly it clicked.

'It's my ears, isn't it?' I resisted the urge to grin widely and see their reactions. I ruffled my hair so that my hair fell over my ears. I don't think it did a very good job though. I looked up at the gate numbers again. Gate 28 B was right ahead of me, and I hurried my steps, eager to leave the crowded place. I looked around the gate and a two people, a man and a woman, caught my eye. On instinct, I knew that they were my host family.

.

.

.

Just kidding. The tall man held a sign that read in large, hiragana letters, 'OKUMURA, RIN.*'

I walked over, feeling nervous for the first time since the plane took off. I went up to the couple and looked up at the man as I approached, eyes wide.

'So tall...' I mused. I snapped out of it. I waved, a bit shyly, at the two adults, and muttered,

"Hi." The tall man smiled down at me and rolled up the sign.

"I take it that you're Rin?" He asked in a deep, kind voice. I nodded.

"Y-yes. What's your name?" I stuttered.

'Shit! Don't mess up, you'll look like an idiot!' The woman held out her hand and I took it.

"My name is Alissa O'Byrne, and this is Dave." She added, gesturing towards the man. I bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs O'Byrne." The man touched my shoulder lightly and I looked up.

"You can just call us by our first names if you'd like." I nodded and grinned, then remembered that my teeth were considered strange, and closed my mouth. Dave turned around in a circle.

"Our daughter was just here a few moments ago... where did she go?" He murmured, half to himself.

"I'm right here! Che, don't you have any trust in me?"

The good natured voice came from right in back of me. I whipped around, startled. She saw my reaction and gasped.

"Sorry I startled you!" She yelped. I blinked. She was... pretty. Her golden blonde hair fell to her mid back, and her freckles stood out against her pale face. But the thing that most caught my attention, were her eyes. They were a startling green, bright, full of life. I noticed that there was a dark hazel spot on her left eye. I could feel my face heating up.

"Ah... i-it's okay..." I stammered.

'What the hell, Rin? Get a hold of yourself!' I scolded. She smiled and my stomach flipped.

"Hi! My name is... well, call me Ylva." She introduced herself. I took a deep breath and turned back to the family. Alissa had an amused look on her face as she picked up her hand bag.

"Our car is out front. You must be pretty tired, feel free to take a nap in the car. Or when we get home, either or both."

'Either or both... oh, she means that I can do them both if I want.' I nodded.

"Thank you." They started to walk away, but I couldn't get my feet to move. I was nervous. Or excited. Maybe both. I felt a soft hand grab mine and pull me along.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" I looked into Ylva's emerald eyes and I barely suppressed a laugh.

"Sorry!" I rubbed the back of my neck and allowed the girl to pull me along. Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as I thought!


	4. New friend?

Note: Faolan's name is not pronounced, fey-oh-lan it's pronounced, fuay-oh-lawn. It's an Irish name. And Ylva is a Swedish name. Yay. :) Okay, I'm done now.

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.

.

No I'm not. Okay, here's the last switch.

Regular: Japanese

**Bold: English**

I promise, this is the last time! Please don't hurt meh! T^T

* * *

"**Faolán, get up now.**" I groaned and rolled over, pulling my blankets up over my ears.

"**Fuck off...**"I growled. My dad's laughter filled my room and he grabbed the bottom of my blanket, yanking it off.

"**Hey!**"I yelped. I sat up and jumped at him out of instinct. He pushed me back down. He walked to my door.

"**It's time for breakfast. And you're making it.**" He left and I heard him walking down the stairs. I was so tired. Yesterday we'd gotten back from the airport, and I went straight to take a nap... and I ended up sleeping until 9:00 pm. I'd gotten up, went downstairs, grabbed an apple and rushed outside. It had been warm, and I hadn't gone back inside until one or two in the morning. I rubbed my eyes and tried to remember what I did last night, but nothing came to mind. I rolled out of bed and landed on the floor. I huffed and literally crawled to the door. I lifted myself up on the handle and plodded out of my room, leaning on the wall for support. I walked downstairs and yawned. My mother and father were at the table, and a door opened behind me. I turned around and our house guest appeared, looking about as miserably tired as I felt. His black hair stuck up in every single possible direction and his unusually blue eyes were half open.

"Good morning..." I murmured absentmindedly.

"Morning... wait a minute!" He looked at me, eyes now wide open. I looked back at him, then realized that I'd greeted him in Japanese, like I usually did with family. Not that the others understood it, but of course Rin Okumura would. He pointed at me in disbelief.

"You speak Japanese?" He asked, looking slightly bewildered. I nodded.

"Yeah. I speak Japanese fluently and I understand it." I smiled. I was glad to see someone not reacting... well, badly to me. I just kind of... naturally repelled people, so my only friend was Beowulf.

"That's so cool! An American can speak Japanese!" He cut into my thoughts. I laughed and said, "It's amazing that some Americans can speak proper English even! Come on, it's time for breakfast. I hope you like meat." I sauntered off to the kitchen, feeling a little more awake.

'He's so... friendly with me...' I thought to myself as I opened the fridge and pulled out some steak. I pounded on it with the meat tenderizer and my mom looked up. She groaned jokingly.

"**Fao, I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times... steak is not a breakfast food!**"I cracked a few eggs into the pan along with the now cooking steak before throwing an eggshell over my shoulder at my mother. She batted it away, laughing.

"**Also, eggshells are not the best choice of ammo. Try the meat tenderizer, it might work better.**"I giggled at my mom's jest.

"**You're violent this morning. Actually, I can't really talk...**"I added, referring to my attack on my dad when he tried to get me up. Although, mom wouldn't know about that. Wait.

"**Where's dad?**"I asked. "**He was here just... what? Three minutes ago?**" My mom gestured towards the door.

"**He just went outside for a moment. He needed to... check on something.**" She replied before going back to her book. I frowned and lifted the meat and eggs from the pan and onto a platter. I took out four plates and carried the whole array to the table, along with four forks. I set the food and plates out on the table before going to get water. I got the water, gave them to the two others, and sat down.

"Itadakimasu!" I cheered before digging in happily. I knew that if I didn't start eating soon, I'd start drooling. It'd happened more than once. Not that it was embarrassing, it was just a pain to eat around. I heard Rin repeat me. My mother didn't bother. She just started eating. I mentally huffed.

'After all the time I put into that meal, and she didn't even give thanks for it! Huh! 'Course, it didn't actually take that much time or effort...' I mused. I finished my food and stood, picking up my plate as I did so. Rin looked at me before turning to my mother.

"**Does she usually eat that fast?**"He inquired. The corner of my mom's mouth twitched upwards.

"**Yes. It's as if she expects someone to take it from her.**"She looked up at me, about to say something. I shot her a glare and she closed her mouth. I stalked off to the kitchen and put my plate into the sink. I knew what she was going to say, and I wasn't going to let her say it. Even if it was meant to be a joke, it still got under my skin.

Just like an animal.

I'd heard that a lot in the duration of my life. Kids, their parents, adults in town. I was sick of it. I didn't blame them though, I could snap. I didn't like to think of that though. I headed off to the bathroom to get ready for the day and I heard my dad walk in. I closed the door behind me and washed my face. I lifted my head.

I stared at my reflection. My blonde hair was a frizzy, tangled mess around my head. My freckles stood out against my pale face. My large, bright green eyes gazed back at me. I looked at the dark hazel spot in one eye. I liked it. I've always thought that it was cool, but others thought it was abnormal. I opened my mouth to reveal my most prominent feature; my teeth.

They were very, very far from perfect. They were definitely not a perfect white, there was an obviously crooked one on the bottom, my two front teeth were just slightly un-even, with the left one having a tiny chip in it. But the thing that caught the most attention were my canines. They stuck out more in front of my other teeth, and they were a bit longer. They were sharp as well. I had learned the hard way that they could draw blood.

My sneered at my reflection and my pupils constricted. I hated looking at myself. I was weird, abnormal, creepy. Those were some of the lesser things people called me. I brushed my teeth and hair and walked out of the bathroom. I dashed upstairs to get dressed and threw on a pair of sports shorts and a loose tee-shirt before looking around for my helmet.

"**Fao! Can you come down for a minute?**"My dad called up. I moaned in frustration and went back downstairs. I walked into the living room, where the three of them were now sitting. My dad was reading papers from a folder and didn't look up as I entered.

"**What is it?**"I asked, leaning against the doorway. Without so much as a glance in my direction, he replied,

"**I was wondering if you would like to show Rin around town. Maybe you could take him to the swimming hole or something.**" I looked at Rin, who was picking at the cloth of whatever he was holding. It looked like it was holding a long, wooden pole or something. I resisted the urge to ask him what it was and nodded.

"Sure. Do you wanna go swimming or..." I trailed off, staring at the boy. He stiffened and looked over at me before averting his gaze.

"S-sure, okay..." He looked a bit unsure, and I frowned.

"We don't have to go swimming if you don't wanna, we can just like... dip our feet in or something. I might jump in but..." I offered. Rin smiled.

"That's fine. Sorry, I'm a bit ah... self conscious..." His eye twitched and my eyebrow threatened to travel up my forehead. He was lying. But it didn't matter. He had his reasons. I shrugged.

"**Okay then, whenever you wanna go, we can go. I'll get the bike ready.**"I turned away and walked for the door.

"**Fao, I think you'd better take the car instead. The motorcycle is probably not the best choice right now.**" My mother said. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"**R-right... sorry, I'm used to driving the bike so...**"I straightened up and sighed. I muttered something about how the motorcycle made me feel more awake before opening the door and going outside. I sat down on the front step and huffed. I swept my hair back, pulling it into a messy ponytail to keep it out of my face. Something fluttered past my face and I blinked to focus my vision.

It was a painted lady. I smiled and held out my hand as if pointing at something. The small butterfly landed on my extended finger and crawled up my arm. It came to a stop on the inside of my elbow and it's proboscis touched my skin. I giggled at the sensation. After a moment, the small bug flew away. I watched it land on one of my mothers peonies. I wiped my brow and closed my eyes. The sun beat down on me, but it wasn't as hot as it was yesterday. I had a feeling that I was going to have a lot more freckles tomorrow than I did today.

"Are you okay?" A voice said from behind me. I squealed and whipped around to look at Rin. I hadn't heard the door open. He jumped as well, startled by my reaction. We stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. I wiped a tear from my eye and managed to say,

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, thanks_._" He grinned and I noticed something. I leaped up from my sitting position and went right up to him. He blinked and opened his mouth to say something and I took the moment to hold his lips open.

"Ah!" He muttered as I stared at his teeth. I smiled and drew back. He gazed at me warily.

"I'm not the only one_!_" I stated. I took note of his confused expression and pointed at his mouth.

"Your canines, mine are like that too. See?" I bared my teeth, showing him that mine were not too different from his. Although, his were definitely whiter and better kept than mine. He smiled.

"C-cool. I'm glad I'm not the only one either_._" He still looked a bit weirded out by me, and I realized why. I'd just stuck my fingers in his mouth. I blushed and looked away.

"S-sorry about that... I don't really know my limits sometimes_._" It was true. I hadn't had much experience with people my age, so I didn't really understand the 'personal space' rule. He waved his hand dismissively.

"It's okay. So, are we gonna go to this swimming hole?" He said. I nodded and started over to the car. I stopped and patted my pockets.

"Ah, keys... one moment, I'll be right back_._" I dashed inside the house, grabbed the car keys from off the key hook, and made my way back outside. I ran over to the car, opened the drivers seat door and got in. I slammed the door behind me, and just as I was buckling my seatbelt, Rin closed his door. I stuck the key into the ignition and started the car as Rin fastened his belt. I looked over at him to make sure he was in right, as I knew that the passenger seat belt was whacked up, and backed out of the driveway after checking to see if any cars were coming.

We rode in an awkward silence, and after about five minutes, I decided to break it.

"So, what's it like in Tokyo?" I asked. Rin looked over at me in surprise.

"You've never been to Tokyo?" He said, his tone one of disbelief. I shook my head.

"I've only been to Kyoto. Have you ever been to Maruyuma Park?"

"No. I've been to the city in Kyoto."

"Oh."

There was a little bit more silence before I said,

"If you ever go again, I know a few places you might wanna go." He looked at me expectantly. I went on.

"Like Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, and Maruyuma Park of course... go there in the spring, right when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. It's amazing." Rin nodded and looked out the window.

"I'll keep them in mind. Thanks." He murmured. I snuck a glance over at him and immediately recognized the look in his eyes. He was already homesick.

"Do you miss your home?" Rin twitched and shook his head rapidly.

"N-no I..." I cut him off before he could make an excuse.

"I have a Skype you know. If you wanna talk to your friends or someone, you can use it as long as you know their Skype name." He thanked me and the awkward silence was back yet again. I huffed and said,

"We'll be at the swimming hole in around three minutes."

"Cool."

.

.

.

"Hey, Rin,"

"What?"

"Have you ever thought of how weird it would be if Americans made their swear words into the scientific words in order to insult someone?"

"Uhm... no... why?"

I cleared my throat as I parked on the side of the road next to the woods. I threw my hand out dramatically as if pointing at someone and yelled,

"Go and sex yourself you offspring of a female canine! Go down to the evil afterlife!" I calmly unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car as Rin laughed. He got out after me and grinned.

"You're right, that would be weird." He chuckled. I smiled. I'd done it, I'd broken the ice. I locked the car and led Rin down the path through the woods. I started hearing the rush of the water and sped up a bit. I saw the water and with no hesitation, I jumped in after hastily kicking my shoes off.

I opened my eyes and the water swirled around me. A few minnows darted around me, nibbling at my fingers and my toes. I swam deeper down to the bottom of the pool, and it got darker and cooler. I large trout swam past me. I reached my hand out and my fingers glided over it's smooth scales. The fish swirled around in the water and swam back to me. It curled it's body against my stomach before it darted away again. Then I noticed that my lungs were aching, and I kicked off the rocky floor and broke the surface of the water.

I gasped for air and swam back to the shore. I looked up at Rin, who was staring at me, mouth gaping open in shock.

"Hi."

"You were under water for two minutes."

"Yeah?"

"... TWO MINUTES."

I laughed. "I've always had a large lung capacity. I like to put it to use." He shrugged and sat down on a rock. I leaned back and floated in the water.

"You're not gonna even dip your feet in?" I asked. He gazed at me for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah. I'm not hot." I raised an eyebrow and eyed his skin, which was glistening with sweat.

"Sure you're not. C'mon." I pleaded. He laughed.

"Fine. But only my feet. And if you splash me..." He let the good natured threat hang in the humid air. He pulled off his shoes and rolled up the pant legs to his knees. He walked over to the shore of the tiny, rocky beach. I grinned evilly. He stepped into the water and yelped as he found that there was no ground. He fell in up to his waist. I cracked up. He growled at me, obviously trying hard to hold back a smile, and tried to splash me.

I ducked under water and swam around, kicking up a cloud of sand. I paddled over to him and my arm shot out of the water. He cried out in shock, as he'd not seen me through the now murky water, and I grabbed a hold of his arm before pulling him down. I let go and tried to swim out of his reach, but he snatched my ankle and pulled me back. I squealed and squirmed, trying to get out of hold on my leg. I splashed him and he let go. I giggled as I took in his appearance. Tousled, wet hair, soaked clothing. I swam over to the water fall, turned around, and stuck my tongue out at him playfully, daring him to follow me. He beamed at me and started towards me.

I faked a scream and ducked behind the waterfall. I held my breath until I got to the other side... meaning the tiny cave behind the splashing water. It was just big enough to fit at least three people, and I pulled myself up and into the rocky hole just as Rin burst through the water. I gasped and pressed myself against the back wall of the cave.

"You win..." I panted. I ran my fingers through my hair, pushing the wet locks out of my face. Rin sat down at the entrance to the cave, staring at me. I cocked my head at him.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You have a piece of leaf on your cheek." I blinked and touched my face. Sure enough, a large piece of a water logged oak leaf was plastered to the smooth surface of my skin. I peeled it off and flicked it away, where it stuck to the cave wall to join the lichen and moss growing on the damp surface.

"Well," I started wearily. "That was fun."

Rin nodded. "Yep. Thanks for forcing me to get into the water, that really cooled me down."

I smirked and pulled a dramatic pose and purred,

"Even while being around my smokin' hot body?"

We laughed and I noticed that I got along better with him then I did with my parents sometimes. I guess we just... clicked. I smiled. I had a feeling that he was actually going to be a good friend. My first human friend I'd ever had. I was determined to keep it going.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"S-say..." I muttered, staring at Rin as he looked at me. We were stading in front of my car, both soaked to the bone, and faced with a serious problem.

.

.

.

Cloth seats and no towels.

I sweat dropped.

"I-I guess we just... wait until we dry off?" Rin suggested. I shook my head. We were both tired and in need of a shower... we had sand in our clothes and leaves stuck in our hair. I sighed.

"Let's just go, I'll deal with it later." He nodded and we got in the car. I closed the door and reached for my seat belt. I accidentally grabbed the hot metal end instead of the strap.

.

.

.

"OUCH!"


	5. Scream

Rin's P.O.V

.

.

.

I dried my hair off with my towel and brushed it so all of the tangles came out. I Pulled my shirt on and tried to make my pants less wrinkled. I sighed and threw my towel over my shoulder before exciting the small half bathroom.

"Hey there." An energetic voice greeted me, right next to my ear. I yelped and stumbled backwards before twisting my head around to look at Ylva. She was kneeling on top of the washing machine, which was right next to the bathroom door. She was trying to hold in her laughter, but she failed.

"You get scared easily, don't you? That's the second time I've surprised you today!" She crowed, a wide smile plastered across her freckled face. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"What if I'd been in only a towel, huh?"

"It would've been even funnier to see you try and keep the towel up at the same time as trying not to fall over. Did you get all of the leaves out of your hair?" She joked, changing the subject. I nodded.

"Yeah. I see you didn't have any trouble." I answered, staring at her. Her hair was still wet with the water from the river, but she had successfully combed it out and rid it of all the debris. She was in a new outfit, as her other one had gotten soaked. She was wearing baggy dorm pants with a deep purple plaid design, and a loose tee shirt that had an old fashioned photo of a group of serious looking men... except for the fact that it had been altered to have bright red plastic solo cups scattered around the table. She followed my gaze and laughed.

"It's my brothers old shirt. The political "party". She rubbed the back of her neck and went on.

"If you're wondering where my brother is, I don't know."

My eyebrow quirked up.

"You... don't know where your brother is...? I'm sorry, I'm not getting this." She cleared her throat and gave a lopsided grin.

"Actually, I don't really even know what happened to him. One day he was here, and the next day he wasn't. My parents told me he had moved, but..." She shrugged and added,

"But I was only thirteen at the time, and he's ten years older than I am. So he can take care of himself, I'm sure." She said with so much enthusiasm, but her eyes said different. She was still worried about her brother. I gently whacked her on the head as I passed her.

"He probably went on a search to find something that makes you quiet down for a moment! Come on, you said earlier that you wanted to show me something." I joked. She scoffed and jumped off of the washing machine and trotted after me. I went to my room and hung my towel over the bedframe before I was tugged backwards by the wrist. It was surprising how strong she was, for such a willowy figure.  
She led me out of the door after telling her mother, who was typing away on her laptop, that we were going outside. She let go of my wrist and bowed low, her hand gesturing out to the dark woods.

"Welcome to the Foraoise na Sí!" She straightened up and translated for me.

"Welcome to the Forest of the Faerie. It was an old joke that my brother and I had." She started to walk into the forest, right into the briars. I stared. Her feet were bare, and blood beaded where the prickers had scratched her, yet she didn't even flinch. She continued with her small story.

"We call it that because one day, my brother and I were playing in here and apparently my brother saw something. He said..." She frowned, as if trying to remember something.

"He said he saw a tall woman watching us. Apparently she was, and I quote him on this, 'delicate as a sapling, pale as a birch, with red brown hair that fell in waves about her shoulders.' My brother was always interested in poetry." She added as a side comment. She kept walking, and I jumped over the patch of briers to follow her deeper into the brush.

"Anyways, he said that she was glowing with a pale yellow light, like the moon. He said that she looked like a Faerie. So, the name became Foraoise na Sí, which is 'Forest of the Faerie' in Irish."

We walked along in silence for a while, and I began to notice something. The father we got away from her house, the more... graceful she became. Her arms didn't swing carelessly from her sides, they swayed gently. She stopped slouching and her head was held high. She was no longer walking, she was flouncing. I stared, mesmerized.

I was so distracted that I didn't notice that she had stopped, and I slammed into her, nearly knocking us both over. I caught her and helped her up again.

"S-sorry about that..." I murmured. She smiled, and I gazed at her. Her eyes were darker in the dimmer light, but the light in them glowed brighter than I'd ever seen anyone else's eyes glow.

"It's okay. But you might want to let go, just for your own good." I blinked. Her voice had changed too. It was calmer, slower, less frantic. Frantic? I guess she did seem frantic compared to this different personality.

I started to process what she said. For my own... What did that mean? I let her go just as I heard a throaty growl from somewhere in the trees. I jumped and whipped around, my hand flying to my sword, which I had strapped to my back before we'd left the house.

A large wolf prowled out of the bushes and darted towards Ylva. I grabbed the handle of my sword, ready to pull it out of it's sleeve and knock the wolf out without unsheathing it, but Ylva threw out her hand. She grinned nervously and said,

"It's fine, Rin. This is what, or, more like who, I wanted to show you." She knelt down next to the wolf and introduced me.

"Rin, meet Beowulf, Beowulf, this is Rin. He's going to be staying at our house for around a year. He's a friend." She added as another growl rumbled in the animals throat. I watched, shocked, as the huge animal whined and opened it's jaws wide. It reached forward and held Ylva's head in it's mouth for a moment before drawing back, licking it's lips. Ylva giggled and rubbed her nose against his.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember that I was here. She looked up at me, a worried expression adorning her face.

"Please don't think I'm insane." She pleaded quietly. I stared. I didn't think she was insane, just... I don't know, brave maybe? I shook my head and grinned.

"Are you kidding? You're friends with a wolf. That is so cool!" I assured her that I did not think she was crazy. Her eyes widened and her lips stretched as she smiled. She laughed, scratching the thick fur of Beowulf's neck.

"Thanks... oh, and Beowulf's not actually a full wolf, he's also half husky." She corrected me. I rolled my eyes.

"A husky's not very far from a wolf you know..." I muttered. She giggled and stood up. She turned away from me and started walking again.

"O-oi! Where are we going?" She looked back at me and answered,

"We're going to a special place! I wanna show it to you." She whipped around and held her finger to her lips.

"And I haven't even told my parents about it, so you can't mention it, okay?" I nodded and she smiled.

"Okay then! Let's go, shall we?" She began to run, and I dashed after her. Damn she was fast! I watched her, the way her feet barely touched the ground as she bounded over the twigs and leaves like her furry companion. I shook my head to clear it. Why the hell was I staring at her like that? I'd just met her!  
I noticed that Ylva had stopped and I slowed to a walk. I came up next to her, and Beowulf glared at me. I stepped back a bit. Ylva raised a dainty hand and pointed.

"Look." She whispered. I followed her gaze and blinked.

A deer, tall, with thin legs, was staring right at us from across a small stream. It's long, dark lashes fluttered over it's deep brown eyes, and Ylva gestured for me to step back.

"Watch." She uttered under her breath. She stepped forward.

The doe twitched, but didn't run. I held my breath as Ylva took another step, then another. After what seemed like forever, she was standing in front of the beautiful animal. She held out a hand and the deer nuzzled her fingers. Ylva smiled and looked at me. She moved her head, gesturing for me to come over.  
I did so, moving as quietly as I could. I stood behind Ylva, who was now stroking the deers sleek brown coat, and glanced at her. Her eyes flicked towards my hand, then the deer. After a moment of hesitation, I lifted a trembling hand. I didn't want it to run away, how often would I get this chance? Probably never again, unless I went to a zoo or something.

I felt the deer's eyes searching mine, contemplating whether or not to trust me. But, eventually, it pressed it's wet, black nose into my palm. I stifled a laugh of amazement and gently patted the head of the deer. It was so calm. The air stilled around me, and all the other noises faded out. The only sounds were mine, Ylva's, and the deer's quiet, slow breaths.

Then something happened. Something strange.

At the same exact time, Ylva and the deer both flinched and twisted their heads in the same direction. Ylva's eyes were wide, and fear flickered in them.

"Something's wrong." She stated, her voice hushed.

I stood stock still. She was right. Something in the air had changed. It had become thick, and it was getting harder to breathe. I knew this feeling. Ylva's muscles were visibly shaking, quivering and tense with anticipation.

_"Get her out of here. You know what's going on, don't you?"_

I jumped and looked around for the voice that had echoed through my head. It was low and grumbling, and I stared in shock when I realized who was speaking to me.

Beowulf's golden brown eyes were gazing at my knowingly.

_"Just get her to leave. I can take care of this type of forest demon, but she can't. She can't even see them."_

I nodded and turned back to Ylva.

"Ylva, we should probably head back. It's getting late." I said, hoping it would be enough to get her moving.

She nodded, seemingly in a daze and her hand patted the deer's hind quarters.

"Run." She whispered into it's perked ear. And it did just that. It took off, down the gully and splashing through the small stream before disappearing over a ledge.

I took Ylva's hand and began to lead her out of the small clearing we were in. I sped up when I heard a crashing sound, and we both looked over our shoulders. Ylva couldn't see it, but she could hear the crunching of underbrush as the demon trampled the growth.  
I could see it though.

A sickly pale, humanoid creature was standing off against Beowulf. It was taller than some of the shorter trees, and it's body was twisted and gnarled like the bark of an ancient oak. Her feet and hands were huge, and they looked more like boulders than appendages. I say her because of the head that sat atop the grotesque figure.

It would've been a beautiful woman, if not for the hideous grin that spanned literally from ear to ear, the teeth sharp and the skin at the edges of her mouth torn to shreds. Her black hair looked burnt, and it was chopped off at the shoulders, and her eyes were wide, large, and completely red.

I looked at Ylva, who, having seen nothing, was now focusing on running. I snuck another glance at the creature and saw that Beowulf had grown up to five times his original size, and the forest demon's mouth was stretching wide as if to scream.

My eyes went wide. As if to scream.

_'Banshee! Shit! We've gotta cover our ears!'_

I thought fast as the Banshee took a huge breath.

_'If we could run reaaaly fast then- no that won't work!'_

In a last ditch effort, I grabbed Ylva and we tumbled to the ground. She cried out in shock and pain, but I couldn't think about that now. I snatched up her hands, put them over her ears, and covered my own before pressing the inside of my elbows to Ylva's hands to make sure that she kept them on her ears. I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared myself for the screech.

**_"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

The high pitched shout ripped through my body, and I felt myself falling unconscious. I shook my head so I could stay awake. I pressed harder on Ylva's hands in an attempt to keep her awake, but when I looked,her eyes had fallen and she had passed out.

I realized that the yell had been cut short, and I looked. Beowulf had his jaws around the Banshee's throat, and blood was gushing from the wound. After a moment, one moment of complete silence, complete stillness, the Banshee's arms dropped her to sides and she fell limp before exploding in a mess of pollen, blood, and leaves. The stench of rotting mulch permeated the air around us, and Beowulf shrunk back to his original size.

With the danger gone, I let my hands fall and I turned Ylva over onto her back.

"Ylva! Ylva, wake up!" I urged. She stirred and groaned, but she didn't wake up. Beowulf touched her face and said to me,

_"Take her back to her house. Tell her parents that she slipped and hit her head. Nothing else."_

I nodded and lifted her into my arms before swinging her up and onto my back. I placed her arms over my shoulders and held her legs in place as I began to walk back in the direction of the house.

I mulled over what had just happened. Banshees didn't appear for no reason. If only I could remember it! I strained my memory, but I couldn't recall what the textbook said. I did, however, recall that Yukio had insisted that I keep it, so if I encountered a demon that I didn't recognize, I could identify it. I'd scoffed as said that of course I wouldn't need it, but now that something like this had happened, I was glad that Yukio had protested.

When I got back to the house, I explained the fake story to Ylva's mother, who was the only one there, and once I was sure that the blonde girl had been taken care of, (Her head searched for injuries and having a doctors appointment made,) I went to my room and began searching through my suitcase, which I still hadn't unpacked. I finally found my textbook and scanned the table of contents, finding the name of the demon I was curious about and flipping to the page listed. My eyes roved over the first few paragraphs.

_'A Banshee is a Forest Demon. It is not known to commonly possess humans or any other objects, and usually stays in it's original form, which can vary drastically. It can be in the form of a young woman, a hag, or it can have a demonic form._  
_Depending on the type of Banshee, the cry can mean (or cause) many different things. If it is a Howling Banshee, (which usually takes a more demonic appearance,) it will attempt to kill the humans or other creatures in order to become stronger. Howling Banshees will continue to develop as long as they have their prey, and if they stop feeding, they will eventually die._

_If it is a Keener Banshee, (which usually takes the form of a young woman, but it has been noted to have a demonic form as well,) it's cry will not do any damage, but it is considered an omen of death by many cultures. Keener Banshees are the first Banshees to have existed, and the very first sightings of them were in Ireland, the specific time period is unknown.'_

My breath caught in my chest when I read the next sentence.

.

_'The Keener Banshee would appear before a family or friend when someone of that family was about to die.'_


	6. Blackout

Faolán's P.O.V

* * *

I woke up from a dreamless sleep, not feeling rested at all, my head pounding, my wrist aching. I whimpered and opened my eyes. Thankfully, someone had drawn my curtains closed, so my eyes weren't blinded by the unrelenting sunlight. I sat up in bed and rubbed my temples. I couldn't remember anything about yesterday past the point where Rin and I had gone in the woods. I'd meant to show him a little cave I'd found, but we were sidetracked by a deer and then...

I shook my head wildly, trying to recall something, anything, but nothing came to mind.

I sighed, pushed my sheet off of me, and swung my legs off the bed. My feet hit the cold, hardwood floor and I breathed out in relief. Until they'd connected to the wood, I hadn't realized how hot and sore they were. I lifted one of the ground and strained my neck to see the bottom of my foot.

They were both quite scratched up, but that was normal. They were bruised though, as if I'd been running fast without being careful. I must've stepped on a rock at some point as well, because there was an especially sore, greenish and black bruise on my left heel. I flinched and drew my hand away when I touched the wound.

I let my left foot fall back to the floor and I stood up, feeling a bit wobbly on my legs. They were sore as well. God damn, everything was sore this morning! I took a deep breath and walked towards the door, hissing whenever I stretched a certain muscle in my right leg. I must've pulled it.

I wrenched open the door and trudged to the top of the stairs. I carefully made my way downstairs, but I accidentally strained the tender muscle. I cried out and hit the wall in pain, creating a dent in the wood. I gritted my teeth as I heard a yelp from the downstairs bedroom, where I knew Rin was sleeping.

I made my way to the bottom of the stairs, but as soon as my foot hit the ground floor, it gave out. I tumbled to the floor and hit my head. I sat up, my legs splayed un-gracefully, my forehead throbbing. I rubbed the spot and whined incoherently. The door opened and Rin stood, looking bleary and sleepy, in front of me. We stared at each other for a moment before Rin spoke.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I 'tch'ed and shook my head.

"It feels like I went bar hopping last night. Everything hurts." I muttered. Rin smirked.

"How do you know what it feels like to wake up after bar hopping?" He teased. I blushed when I realized how that had sounded.

"I-I don't know! I've just..." My sentence trailed off and I murmured something about having read enough Fanfictions to get an idea. Thankfully he didn't hear me.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing! Help me up, will ya?" He held out his hand and I took it. He pulled me up, but my legs were not done cursing me. My knees buckled yet again, and I fell forward into Rin, grabbing his tee-shirt and pressing my face into his chest. I flushed.

'So warm...' I mused.

"A-ah! Ylva, what-" Rin stuttered. I jumped backwards and held the wall for support.

"S-sorry! I pulled a muscle or two in my leg, and I think it's planning to kill me..."

"Pfft!"

We both burst out laughing. I double over, clutching my stomach. After a few moments, we both calmed down, and I sighed and rubbed my head again.

"Hey... Rin?" I started. He looked up.

"Yeah?" I started to slowly walk towards the kitchen, and he followed me. Something didn't feel right...

"What happened yesterday?" I asked cautiously. He paused.

"You... don't remember anything?" I turned around to look at him and I blinked. His expression was one of concern and confusion, as if he had no idea that humans were capable of losing memories.

"...Should I?" I scratched my head. "Did something important happen?" I wondered aloud, speaking half to myself.

Rin was silent, it was worrying me. I could feel how heavy the atmosphere had gotten. The black haired boy's face was screwed up in concentration, like he was thinking hard about something, or maybe trying to figure out an algebra problem. If it was the latter, he should give up, because algebra's got no use in this world. My hand dropped to my side and I grinned.

"Well, let's go with explanation F. F for, 'Faolánwasblackoutdrunkandcan'trememberanything.' How's that?" I joked, trying to lift the mood.

Rin laughed, but I could still feel the tension rolling off of him in waves.

"Sure! We'll go with that. Oh, right, I was going to ask you something." I nodded and gestured for him to go on.

"Why do you and your parents call you Fao and Faolán, but you told me to call you Ylva?" I shrugged.

"Fair question. The teachers at school call me Ylva, and I've just gotten used to people who aren't close to me calling me Ylva. I think it started in Pre-school when a kid said that Faolán was hard to say, so I asked my parents for another name, and they said if it really meant that much to me, I could have people call me Ylva. It's easier to say, basically, but it doesn't sound right to me. It doesn't suit me."

Rin nodded and said casually,

"I personally like Fao better. It definitely suits you better than Ylva. Ylva sounds too... mature." I playfully growled and put him in a loose headlock.

"Whaddya mean 'mature!?' I'm as mature a person you'll ever see!"

"Yeah, you're suuure proving me wrong!" He retorted. I snickered and let him go, before groaning in pain as my actions punished my body mercilessly.

I snapped my fingers, finally figuring out what didn't feel right.

"Now I know why everything was so quiet! Where's my mom and dad?" I asked Rin. He shrugged.

"They said that they were going out to do something important, so I guess it's just the two of us. We can do anything we want!"

.

.

.

"Whut?" I asked in a monotone. Truth was, I was trying really hard to keep a straight face. Rin blushed.

"Gah! That sounded wrong! I just meant like we could play, I dunno, Monopoly or-"

"Monopoly?"

"You get the point!"

I touched my finger to my lip and looked up to the right in a mockingly confused position.

"No, I'm not sure that I do." He flicked my forehead and I giggled.

"Okay, okay, fine. I get it. But seriously, Monopoly? Where did you get that idea?" Rin shrugged.

"I honestly have no clue what-so-ever."

"Okay, that's a fine answer. Let's go to the school yard so I can show you the best quiet places." I said eagerly. The house felt stuffy, and I needed to get outside to stretch out my sore body. I went for my car keys, but Rin grabbed my wrist.

"What about breakfast? And what about your injuries?" I gave him a quick half-smile and dropped the keys back on the small table.

"We'll have breakfast, but I just need to work these 'injuries' off. They'll only get better if I move."

"But you might pull the same muscle again and-"

"Why are you so against me going and running around? And wait, how did you know that I pulled my muscle?" Rin snorted.

"You're an airhead. You told me so, just a few minutes ago. And your mom and dad said that you shouldn't go outside today."

I stopped inching towards the door.

"Why?" Rin shrugged yet again.

"I wouldn't know, but they looked kinda serious, so, I'm guessing they really don't want you to go outside."

I sighed.

"Fine, I'll stay in. But I'm gonna be so bored and I-OW!" I tipped to my knees as a blinding flash of pain ripped through my head. I moaned and clutched at my scalp, pulling my hair, but the pain just intensified, and I cried out as another stab went through my brain.

"Fao! What's wrong?!" Rin's voice sounded far off and distant, and my vision blurred. The room spun as I listed to the side and fell to the floor, blacking out from the only growing pain.


	7. What the hell?

Rin's P.O.V

Yukio picked up after the third ring, answering in that tone he has when he's annoyed.

"Nii-san! I told you to call me when you got there, it's been two days already!"

"Actually, it's only been a day and a few hours, but why didn't you just call me?"

"... I don't have your number on my cell." He mumbled, seeming to be a bit meek about it. I hissed in fake pain and cried out,

"Owch, that hurts! My own brother doesn't have my number on his phone! My own _brother!_" Yukio huffed and continued as if nothing had happened.

"Anyways, was your flight okay? Did you get to your host family alright?" I made a 'calm down' gesture with my hand before I realized he couldn't actually see me.

"It was fine, and these people are really nice and stuff... but there's something I have to talk to you about." I answered. There was a silence at the other end of the phone, a tense, nervous silence.

"What is it?" Yukio asked, his voice stiff. I looked at my bed, where Fao was sleeping. Her face was twisted in pain, and she was curled up, holding the blanket tighter than a lifeline. I'd brought her into my room after she'd passed out, but she still showed no sign of waking up. I hoped her parents would be back soon.

"Nii-san?" I was jolted out of my thoughts and I scratched the back of my neck.

"S-sorry. It's just, we were in the woods yesterday, and we were attacked by a demon." I held the phone away from my ear as Yukio replied.

"What!? I thought that the American branch had taken care of those demons for the year! Damn those slackers... what kind of demon was it, do you know?" I nodded, but scolded myself.

'Jeez, this is the second time, Yukio can't see me!'

"Yeah, it was a Banshee."

"But what _kind _of Banshee?" I thought for a moment, recalling it's grotesque appearance.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was a Keener Banshee." Yukio swore.

"Shit! Did it scream?"

"..."

"Nii-san!"

"Yeah, it did. The daughter of my host family was knocked out, and after she woke up this morning, she passed out again. Her parents are out, and I'm really not sure what to do." I said. Yukio sighed.

"Nii-san, I'm going to call you back later. I have to inform the Japan branch about this, so we can have them contact the American branch. Make sure that the daughter doesn't do anything too drastic, and if anything starts to seem demonic about her, call this number and tell them what's happening. And if anything seems suspicious going on, text me."

Yukio gave me the number to call and hung up, saying that it might be a few days until he'd be able to call back. I shut my phone and stuck it in my pocket. I sat back in the chair I was sitting in and took a deep breath. With everything going on, both yesterday and today, I was starting to get a bit exhausted. I heard a groan and my eyes snapped open. When had they closed? I looked over at the bed and Fao was sitting up, rubbing her head. She looked around wearily and noticed me.

"I seem to be passing out a lot lately." She rasped, a small smile on her face. I grinned.

"Look's like your humor hasn't left you yet. Are you hungry?" I asked, and she nodded before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. I stood up with her as she wobbled, and I caught her when she fell.

"If... if you give me permission to use your kitchen, I'll make something." I offered, sitting her back down on the bed. She let out a long sigh and nodded again.

"Yeah, I give you full permission to use our kitchen. Just don't use the food." I raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes.

"It's called a joke, ever heard of it?" She grumbled lightheartedly. I laughed quietly and helped her to her feet when she held out her hand. I spotted her as she walked ahead of me to the dining room, where she sat down in a chair at the table and sprawled out across it.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Do what you please." She reassured me. I guessed I had a look of concern on my face. I smirked and rolled up my sleeves.

"Well then, let's see what I have to work with!" I cheered. I was glad that one of the things I was good at was cooking, I didn't want us to both get hungry. I opened the fridge. I sweat dropped.

'Nothing much, huh?'

"Sorry, we don't have too much to 'work with' in this house. There may be something in the cupboards though." Faolán called from her seat. Her voice was a bit muffled, and when I looked over, her face was flat on the table, and her arms were wrapped around her head. I grinned.

"I'll do my best."

. o O o .

"Th-this is really good!" Fao mumbled, before hastily shoving more of the omelette into her mouth. I paled.

"Thanks, but slow down, your gonna get sick if you eat that fast!" She smiled sheepishly and slowed down a bit, but she was still eating pretty fast. I noticed the way she gripped the fork, like she hadn't seen or used one before in her life.

"You know how to use a fork, right?" I inquired. She groaned.

"Don't you start on me! My mom already bothers me enough. I just never really learned." She shrugged and continued eating. I watched her for a moment before starting to eat again... but I had to do a double take.

I didn't want to be caught staring at her neck, but I couldn't help it. A large, pink and red rash had spread out from where her throat was. It branched off in many different directions, like a tree. I swallowed my last bite and asked,

"Um, Fao, you have a rash on your neck. Are you allergic to something?" Faolán, who had already stood up to put her plate away, paused.

"Not that I know of..." She trailed off, putting her plate and silverware in the sink before going to a mirror that hung on the wall next to the front door. She stretched her neck to get a better look and shrugged again.

"I guess I'll take an allergy medication when my parents get home." She muttered. She walked back to the table, where I was just finishing my meal, and sat down. She sighed and murmured something about being bored. I stood, put my plate in the sink, and turned on the water. If I was going to be staying here for a year, I might as well help out.

"Oi! Don't you dare do those dishes!" Fao scolded me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You guys are doing so much for me and-"

"And you just cooked us breakfast. Put your hands in the air and step away from the sink." She stood up, hunched over, hands in a gun position. I laughed and turned off the sink.

"Fine, fine, if you insist." I mocked. She grinned and advanced, not breaking from her act.

"I'm going to have to open fire if you don't put your hands in the air!" She continued. I snickered and crossed my arms.

"Sorry officer, I don't know what the problem is." Fao pretended to pull out a walkie talkie and muttered quite loudly,

"Subject is resisting arrest! I need backup now!" I snorted and put my hands in the air before we both dropped our acts and burst out in laughter. We seemed to a have quite a lot of these moments. I walked over and ruffled her hair.

"Wanna play Monopoly?" I joked. She rolled her eyes.

"Not that again!" She moaned, exasperated. I followed her to the living room, where she sat on the couch and pulled out a computer.

"Since we're not allowed outside-"

"_You're _not allowed outside,"

"Since we're not allowed outside, we can watch a movie... or maybe YouTube. Either one is fine with me." I responded saying that I really didn't care and she opened the laptop.

"YouTube it is then! The glorious terrain of the 'mountains of the crap videos' and 'the oasis of clear, shining comedy!' She crowed, clicking the internet button. Our heads turned as we heard a car door slam. A second after, I flinched as she slammed the lid of the computer down and shoved it back under the couch where it had been before she'd picked it up.

"Or maybe not..." She muttered, then noticed how close we were sitting. She quickly scooted away from me just as the front door opened, and Mr and Mrs O'Byrne walked in, looking dazed and a bit flustered. They took off their shoes and set down the bags they were carrying, all except for a small package, but I only barely noticed it before Mr. O'Byrne quickly shoved it into his pocket.

"**Faol****án, come and help put these groceries away please!"** Alissa called over to the blonde girl. Faolán jumped up and headed over, and I followed. I started unpacking bags and putting the food in their respective places before I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Dave smiling at me, just like when we'd first met.

"**You don't have to help us out with this, we've got it." **He said. He was grinning, but I was actually pretty capable of telling what someone's feeling. Under that, he seemed... nervous, about something. I, being their guest of only two days, decided against asking what was wrong. Instead, I merely waved my hand dismissively.

"**It-it's okay, Mr. O'Byrne, I can help!" **I insisted eagerly. I really didn't mind, and again, I had to do something to repay them. Might as well start somewhere, right? I caught Fao glaring at me, daring me to continue, but Dave didn't seem to notice and he ruffled my hair.

"**You're a great kid, Rin. Okay, do what you want." **And with that he shuffled away around the corner, and I heard his feet on the stairs. I shot Faolán a smug glance and she looked to see if her mom was watching before flashing me the finger. I stifled a laugh and returned to my job.

After the groceries had been dealt with, I noticed Alissa staring intently at Fao's rash, but she didn't say anything. I left the dishes to Faolán, (she had shoved me gently out of the way when I started edging towards them,) and widthdrew from the room after asking if there was anything else to do. I closed the kitchen door behind me and started walking away, but I tripped over my own foot. I yelped and managed to not hit my head to hard on the ground, but I still sat on the hardwood floor, rubbing my forehead. After a moment, I started to stand up.

"**Faolán, do you... remember anything about yesterday?"**

I froze. I didn't really want to eavesdrop, but Alissa's tone was so urgent and anxious that I couldn't help but stand up quietly and listen in through the closed door. There was a moment of silence, only broken by the sound of the water running against the plates. Finally, Fao spoke.

**'I... don't really remember most of whatever happened yesterday, but I heard a... a scream. And then I was being pressed to the ground. Nothing else though." **The water turned off and I heard her place the last piece of silverware in the dish rack.

"**When's my doctors appointment? I wanna see how bad this head injury is." **She asked. She sounded a bit tense, even though her tone was light. Alissa replied almost immediately.

"**It's the day after tomorrow. Faolán, this is a bit off topic, but if you feel... different, you come and tell me or dad, okay?" **I heard her footsteps coming towards the door and I held my breath. I darted to my room, which thankfully wasn't that far from the door, and quietly closed the door behind me. I let the breath out and whipped out my phone, forming a text in my head as I pulled up Yukio's number. As I wrote in the message of what had just happened, I tried to push down my apprehension. I had a gut feeling that something was going on, and usually when I trusted that feeling, it usually turned out right. Millions of questions were running through my head. The most prominent one was stuck, and I couldn't get it to go away:

What the hell was with this damn town!?


End file.
